Consultation on the Regulations and Guidance under the Welfare Funds (Scotland) Act 2015 Event 3 June 2015

Marieke Dwarshuis (Chair) Scottish Tribunals and Administrative Justice Advisory Committee

John Dickie Child Poverty Action Group

Harry McGuigan Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

Minister for Housing and Welfare Margaret Burgess MSP

Consultation on Regulations and Guidance Under the Welfare Funds (Scotland) Act Verity House 3 June 2015

2 Years later… Between April 2013 and December 2014 £56 million has been paid to support nearly 135,000 44,000 of those helped were families with children 63,000 households received around 71,000 awards for community care grants, typically for white goods, furnishings and floor coverings. 22,000 households received around 158,000 awards for crisis grants, for food, essential heating costs and other living expenses. Around 50% of grants are made in the most deprived areas of Scotland from October to December 2014, 10% more crisis grants and 15% more community care grants were awarded than for the same quarter last year.

The Applicant In immediate need, vulnerable and on a low income Local Authority Implementation Aligned with local welfare, support and advocacy services, making use of local opportunities Policy and national delivery framework Standard: eligibility criteria, application form, IT specification, decision making process, national training, national branding and publicity material Detailed Monitoring Framework – quarterly data on spend, take up etc Independent Review of disputed decisions - ensuring the right decision, promoting confidence, improvement information Improvement activity - drives effective decision making and national consistency – Case observation visits, decision makers workshops and network, targeted promotion, reducing barriers to application Stakeholder Views User experience and third sector views Lessons learned from DWP, Local Government delivery expertise, Scottish Policy context

Importance of on- going partnership working Challenges: Supporting a maturing system Maintaining a national system delivered locally Uncertainty of ongoing welfare reform Managing increasing demand Further devolution – a shifting picture Making independent review work effectively

Consultation issues What is low income? Repeat awards Families under exceptional pressure How CGs are paid Timescales for processing CGs Excluded items Vulnerabilities Equalities impacts Regulations and their intended effects Open question on Draft Guidance Improvements to the application form

Policy issues not covered in the consultation: Eligibility under Universal Credit Prisoners on home release Applicants with no recourse to public funds

Timeline May –August Consultation on regulations, guidance and application form Autumn – consider policy issues, equality impacts etc. November Finalise policy On-going preparation by LAs and SPSO January 2016 – Lay regulations April Welfare Funds (Scotland) Act, regulations and statutory guidance come in to force April SPSO starts to take independent reviews Regular reporting, on-going monitoring and improvement, annual update to guidance.

Next steps SWF Team happy to come and speak at meetings/take part in workshops during the consultation period. SWF consultation questions will form part of wider engagement programme surrounding devolution of further powers and social justice. Follow the link in our and respond to the consultation! And/ Request leaflets to use with your client groups or view the SG SWF web page to access voiced/signed versions.

Valerie Malloch Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Exercise 1 - What Is Low Income? Consultation Page 5

Exercise 2 – Repeat Awards Consultation Page 6

Exercise 3 – How Crisis Grants Are Paid Consultation Page 7

Keith Lynch People First

Marieke Dwarshuis (Chair) Scottish Tribunals and Administrative Justice Advisory Committee